CAP'N  PRATT 


BY- 


-MRS.    TILLIE     JOHNSON- 


WoMEN's  GENERAL  MISSIONARY  SOCIETY 

OF  THE 
UNITED  PRESBYTERIAN  CHURCH 

OF 
NORTH  AMERICA 


University  of  California  •  Berkeley 

Gift  of 
FRANK  VON  HIPPEL 


CAP'N  PRATT 

BY 

MRS.  TILLIE  JOHNSON 


INTRODUCTORY 


The  first  chapter  of  "Cap'n  Pratt"  was  writ- 
ten for  "Little  Brothers  of  Mine"  and  the  other 
chapters  for  the  Junior  Missionary  Magazine. 
The  author,  Mrs.  Tillie  Johnson,  has  been  long 
one  of  our  most  devoted  missionaries  at  Miller's 
Ferry,  Alabama,  where  at  present  she  is  in 
charge  of  the  Infirmary  and  Nurses'  Training 
School.  Her  husband,  Rev.  C.  Johnson,  is  the 
Minister  of  our  church  at  Miller's  Ferry  and 
also  principal  of  the  school. 

Mrs.  Johnson  herself  belongs  to  the  colored 
race  and  no  one  is  better  fitted  to  give  a  true 
portrait  of  child  life  in  the  Black  Belt  of  Ala- 
bama. 

This  little  booklet  is  sent  forth  by  the  Wo- 
men's Board  in  the  hope  that  it  may  win  many 
a  friend  for  the  poor  little  Cap'n  Pratts,  grow- 
ing- up  in  densest  ignorance  within  the  borders 
of  our  own  country. 


CHAPTER  I. 

AP'N    PRATT    never    did    anything 
on  land  or  sea  to  give  him  a  right 
,A     rj    to  the  title  Captain,  for  he  is  only 
ft  a  little  colored  boy  in  the  Black 

3<Z>C  Belt  of  Alabama.  His  father  ad- 
mired the  big  burly  river  cap- 
tain whom  he  saw  striding  along 
the  deck  when  he  took  his  butter 
and  eggs  down  to  the  steamer  to  sell.  So 
when  the  tenth  addition  to  the  Smith  family 
came,  he  was  named  Cap'n  Pratt.  Cap- 
tain Pratt,  indeed,  is  not  the  only  member 
in  the  family  bearing  a  title.  There  is 
Governor  Moore  Smith,  and  Lawyer  Jones 
Smith,  while  the  eldest  brother  is  known 
as  George  Washington  Smith. 

Cap'n  Pratt's  home  is  a  low  one-room 
cabin  in  the  middle  of  a  cotton  field,  and 
often  he  and  his  three  brothers  who  share 
his  bed  lie  at  night  and  watch  the  stars 
through  the  chinks  and  cracks  till  they  fall 
asleep.  A  bed  for  father  and  mother  with 
four  year  old  Mattie  at  the  foot,  another 
for  the  five  girls  sleeping  "heads  and 
points,"  a  rickety  chair  or  so,  an  empty 
soap  box  for  a  seat,  and  a  table  complete 
the  furniture,  except  for  the  skillet  and 
baker  under  the  table,  for  the  cooking  is 
done  in  the  big  fireplace  which  takes  up 
nearly  half  of  one  end  of  the  cabin. 
3 


I'm  sure  you  would  never  guess  where 
the  provisions  are  kept.  Every  Saturday 
Cap'n  Pratt's  father  goes  to  the  plantation 
store  and  gets  the  weekly  rations  for  the 
family,  usually  seven  pounds  of  side  meat 
and  three  pecks  of  meal.  These  are  put 
away  back  under  the  bed — for  safety,  maybe. 
Never  in  all  his  life  has  this  little  black 
brother  sat  down  at  a  table  to  eat  his  break- 
fast, supper  or  dinner.  When  the  "tete" 
(food)  is  done  his  mother  calls  him  and  his 
brothers  and  sisters  to  the  fireplace,  breaks 
off  a  hunk  of  corn  bread  out  of  the  skillet, 
and  pours  some  molasses  into  tin  buckets 
or  lids  or  pans,  one  for  each.  The  larger 
boys  and  girls  stand,  or  sit  on  the  edge  of 
the  bed,  while  the  smaller  ones  sit  on  the 
floor  or  doorstep  and  sop  their  bread  in 
the  r.orghum  with  much  more  relish  than 
come  boys  and  girls  I  kno\v  who  feed  upon 
the  daintiest  fare. 

When  Cap'n  Pratt  was  a  baby  of  only  a 
few  weeks  old,  a  string  with  a  dirty  little 
bag,  suspended  from  the  middle  and  con- 
taining dried  roots,  a  mole  foot,  etc.,  was 
tied  around  his  neck.  This  was  to  keep  off 
disease  and  help  him  cut  teeth.  Days  and 
days  were  spent  by  Cap'n  Pratt  in  the  cot- 
ton field,  where  his  mother  would  carry 
him,  and,  finding  a  shady  spot,  v/ould  leave 
him  in  care  of  the  next  youngest,  while 
she  and  the  rest  of  the  family  would  go  up 
and  down  the  long  rows  with  sacks  tied 
across  their  backs  into  which  they  stuffed 
the  fleecy  cotton.  j. 


Watching  for  Pappy  to  come  from  the  store. 


On  Sabbath  morning  this  little  boy  puts 
on  his  clean  clothes,  (that  is,  if  he  has  any, 
for  it  often  happens  that  the  mother  is  too 
tired  to  wash  and  patch  on  Saturday  or  his 
supply  has  given  out,)  and  the  clothes  are 
sewed  on  him  as  they  will  not  be  taken 
off  till  next  week.  You  see  when  he  goes 
to  bed  at  night  he  does  not  have  to  undress 
and  is  not  bothered  about  dressing  next 
morning. 

One  of  the  greatest  trials  of  Cap'n  Pratt's 
young  life  is  the  weekly  hair  combing  which 
also  falls  on  Sabbath.  Had  he  been  a  girl 
it  would  not  have  been  so  bad,  for  his  sisters 
and  mother  too  have  their  hair  divided  into 
ten  or  twenty  parts  and  wrapped  with  vari- 
colored strings,  some  white,  some  red,  oth- 
ers blue,  and  the  ends  of  these  wraps  tied 
together  and  held  in  place  by  a  "head  rag" 
or  bandanna.  When  he  was  old  enough 
to  go  to  school  his  father  took  charge  of 
this  part  of  his  toilet  and  cut  all  the  hair 
off  except  a  small  patch  on  top.  How  re- 
lieved he  felt!  Hair  combing  days  were 
over.  But  his  teacher  said  the  top  must 
be  combed  daily  and  a  straight  part  made 
as  evidence.  What  did  our  boy  do  but  get 
George  Washington  to  cut  the  hair  out  in 
a  straight  line  from  front  to  back  to  look 
like  a  part! 

Poor    Cap'n    Pratt's    school    life    however 

was  a  brief  one.    It  lasted  only  two  months 

in  the  year  and  it  was  so  long  between  the 

closing  of  one  term  and  the  opening  of  the 

6 


next  that  he  forgot  nearly  all  he  had  learned 
and  each  year  had  to  begin  at  almost  the 
same  place.  But  even  this  school  is  closed 
now  because  they  cannot  get  a  teacher,  and 
Mr.  Smith  is  too  poor  to  send  his  boy  to  the 
mission  school  fifteen  miles  away. 

So  poor  little  Cap'n  Pratt,  with  thous- 
ands of  others  like  him,  having  no  means 
to  learn  even  to  read  and  write,  is  growing 
up  in  ignorance,  not  because  he  wants  to, 
but  because  he  cannot  help  it, — he  has  no 
chance.  I  feel  so  sorry  for  him,  don't  you? 

"You  must  tote  yo'  own  sins  now  boy, 
you  gwine  on  'leben  yeah  ole,"  said  Cap'n 
Pratt's  father  to  him  shortly  after  he  had 
passed  his  tenth  birthday.  "You  bettah  get 
deligion,  'cause  you  gwine  to  hell  sho's  yo 
bawn  ef  ye  doan.  I  done  toted  all  you  ten 
chillun's  devilment  'til  I  most  broke  down 
in  my  back.  You's  de  las'  one  an'  I  is  done 
wid  you  now,  so  you  bettah  git  to  prayin'." 

You  see  Cap'n  Pratt's  father  and  nearly 
all  the  other  boys'  and  girls'  fathers  in  the 
Black  Belt  believe  that  they  are  respon- 
sible for  their  children's  sins  till  they  are 
ten  years  old  and  there  is  no  need  of  them 
becoming  Christians  until  they  reach  that 
age. 

As  "Big  Meetin'  "  or  "protrack"  was  going 
on  every  night  in  the  church  of  which  Cap'n 
Pratt's  father  was  head  deacon,  Cap'n,  with 
several  others  went  to  the  mourners  bench 
to  "git  deligion"  as  his  father  had  advised. 
Crowds  gathered  around  the  mourners, 
7 


clapping  their  hands,  patting  their  feet  and 
swaying  their  bodies  back  and  forth  as  they 
sang  lustily: 

"A  is  for  Adam  who  was  the  first  man, 
D's  for  little  Daniel  in  de  lion's  den, 
J's  for  Jonah  in  de  belly  cf  de  whale 
P  is  for  Paul  in  de  Phillipian  jail. 

Chorus: 

They  was  a  witness  for  my  Lord. 
An'  you  must  be  a  witness  for  my  Lord. 
Sistah  bettah  min'  how  you  walk  on  de  cross 
You  right  foot  slip  and  you  soul  be  lost. 

Chorus: 

An'   you'll  be  a  po'   witness  for  my  Lord 
An'  you  won't  be  a  witness  for  my  Lord." 

In  the  meantime  one  and  another  would 
lean  over  Cap'n  Pratt  and  cry  out,  "Pray 
hard  chile,  de  Devil  is  atter  you  sho,  an' 
you  got  to  see  him  an'  cross  over  hell  'fore 
you  git  to  Jesus,"  emphasizing  each  phrase 
with  a  decided  pat  on  his  back. 

For  several  days  Cap'n  Pratt  mourned, 
even  venturing  out  in  the  woods  by  night 
and  into  the  graveyard  by  day,  trembling 
a  little  as  he  peered  around  occasionally 
lest  "de  Debil"  should  be  in  sight,  yet  piti- 
fully pleading  to  see  something  that  would 
be  a  sign  of  his  acceptance.  On  the  fol- 
lowing Sabbath  he  went  forward  to  join 
the  church.  The  little  log  structure  was 
packed  to  overflowing,  visitors  coming  from 


rniles  around,  curious  to  hear  the  "travels" 
of  the  new  converts. 

"Cap'n  Pratt",  said  the  preacher,  "tell  de 
church  yo'  trabels  in  gittin'  from  hell's  dark 
doah;  what  is  you  seen,  what  is  you  heerd, 
my  chile,  dat  makes  you  knock  at  de  chuch 
doah  today?"  Cap'n  Pratt  arose,  faced  the 
preacher,  and  in  a  weird  chanting  tone  gave 
the  following  account  of  his  "travels."  "I's 
been  a  prayin'  an'  a  prayin'  'cause  I  know 
ef  I  doan  git  deligion  I  gwine  to  de  bad 
place.  Last  night  I  went  out  'hind  de  tater 
house,  an'  I  lay  down  flat  on  de  groun,; 
an'  while  I  wuz  a  layin'  dere  I  saw  a  light 
an'  a  little  white  man  a  comin'  to  me.  He 
cut  me  open  an'  took  out  my  heart,  and  den 
he  sewed  me  up  agin,  an'  tole  me  my  sins 
is  forgiven',  my  soul  sot  free." 

Cap'n  Pratt  sat  down  while  murmurs  of  ap- 
proval, amens  and  "I  know  dat  chile's  got 
it,"  were  heard  all  over  the  house.  "I  move 
Cap'n  Pratt  be  received  into  de  chuch  as  a 
candidate  for  baptism,"  spoke  up  one  of  the 
deacons.  After  his  baptism  the  convert  is 
considered  safe,  and  though  he  should  lie, 
steal  and  even  be  sent  to  jail,  his  name  still 
remains  on  the  church  book. 

Whether  the  poor  child  in  his  longing 
for  light,  his  imagination  keyed  up  to  the 
highest  pitch  by  the  intense  excitement  and 
emotion  of  the  services,  conjured  up  or 
dreamed  his  "travels,"  or  whether  the  piti- 
ful Father  did  send  a  ray  from  the  Star  of 
Bethlehem  into  his  sinsick  heart,  I  do  not 
9 


pretend  to  say.  I  only  know  there  are  mul- 
titudes in  this  land  of  school  houses  and 
churches  thus  misguided  as  to  their  eternal 
destiny. 

O,  God,  pity  the  poor  Cap'n  Pratts  in  the 
Black  Belt. 


Cap'n  Pratt's  home. 


10 


CHAPTER  II. 
Cap'n   Pratt's   First  Thanksgiving. 

JOUT  the  middle  of  November, 
George  Washington  put  the  Smith 
family  all  in  a  flutter  of  excite- 
ment by  announcing  that  at  the 
mission  station  there  was  going 
to  be  a  "Thanksgivin'  day"  and 
that  a  free  dinner  would  be 
served  to  all  who  went,  ending  up  with, 
"Ise  gwine  an'  Daddy  said  he  borror  Uncle 
Jake's  mule  an'  Mammy  an'  all  o'  us  could 
take  de  wagon.  Won't  dat  be  fine?  Dey 
gwine  to  have  some  'fresh'  (pork)  I  know, 
an'  I  aint  et  no  'fresh'  since  las'  Christ- 
mas/' 

"What  is  Thanksgivin'  day?"  asked  Cap'n 
Pratt  who  had  been  listening  with  great  in- 
terest to  his  brother,  "Mammy,  you  gwine? 
Lemme  go  ef  you  go,  I  aint  never  been  no 
where." 

"Us  wants  to  go  too,"  chimed  in  the  twins. 
"Aint  none  o'  us  gwine  ef  I  kin  see 
straight,"  answered  the  mother,  "Pratt  an' 
all  the  rest  o'  ye  ain't  shipped  up  to  go  no 
whah,  'cept  'tis  Lawyer  Jones  an'  George 
Washington  an'  dey  ain't  got  no  fittin'  shirts. 
Ef  yo'  pappy  could  have  a  settlement,  mebbe 
us  could  manage  to  git  ready.  I  ain't  never 
heerd  o'  no  Thanksgivin'  day  before  an' 
I'd  like  mighty  well  to  go  myself." 
11 


Just  then  the  father  walked  into  the  cab- 
in, looking  very  much  like  Santa  Glaus,  with 
a  huge  cotton  sack  full  of  packages  across 
his  back. 

"Ise  had  a  settlement,  Ca'line  an'  here's 
something  fur  you  an'  de  chillins.  I  jes 
cleared  twenty-five  dollars  dis  yeah,  so  you 
mus'  make  out  de  bes'  you  kin.  I  finished 
payin'  fur  de  mules,"  he  added,  "an'  dat's 
purty  good  atter  all,  ain't  it,  ole  'oman?" 

"Oh,  Pappy,"  shouted  Cap'n  Pratt,  "us  kin 
go  to  de  Thanksgivin'  can't  us?"  as  the 
mother  and  oldest  daughters  began  undoing 
the  purchases  and  exhibiting  them  to  the 
delighted  family. 

There  were  gay  colored  bandannas,  bright 
ribbons,  two  strings  of  beads  for  the  twins, 
Dink  and  Soda,  a  bolt  of  blue  cotton  check, 
a  red  cap  for  Cap'n  Pratt,  who,  although 
nearly  eleven,  was  still  called  "Pappy's 
baby  boy"  and  was  a  general  favorite;  be- 
sides there  were  cheese,  a  box  of  Uneeda 
biscuits,  candy  and  some  fat  meat. 

"Ef  you  an'  de  girls  sew  up  right  peart, 
Ca'line,  I  think  us  kin  git  fixed  up  all  right 
fur  de  Thanksgivin';  I  got  dat  bolt  of 
check,"  said  he  as  the  paper  was  being  torn 
off  a  large  bundle,  "So  ez  to  give  de  boys 
all  a  shirt  aroun'  an'  you  an'  de  girls  a  dress 
apiece." 

After    sewing   early   and   late   with    some 

assistance   from   an   occasional    visitor,   the 

garments  were  at  last  completed  as  planned 

-  except  Cap'n  Pratt's  waist.     When  it  was 

12 


"Us  can  go  to  de  Thanksgivin',  can't  us  !" 


reached  it  was  discovered  that  by  some 
oversight  the  sleeves  and  collar  were  lack- 
ing. After  much  puzzling  as  to  how  the 
missing  parts  should  be  supplied,  it  was  de- 
cided to  make  the  sleeves  and  collar  out 
of  a  remnant  of  yellow  calico,  left  over 
from  a  quilt,  pieced  last  winter,  known  as 
the  "Evening  Star,"  and  the  pride  of  the 
housekeeper  especially.  This  was  accord- 
ingly done,  to  the  satisfaction  of  all,  and 
to  Cap'n  Pratt  in  particular.  As  there  was 
still  some  of  the  calico  remaining,  the  moth- 
er love  prompted  the  further  decoration  of 

13 


the  twins'  dresses  with  a  fold  around  the 
skirt  of  each. 

Bright  and  warm  shone  the  sun  that 
Thanksgiving  morning  and  at  an  early  hour 
the  Smith  family,  each  in  his  "Sunday  best" 
was  packed  into  the  wagon,  bound  for  the 
mission  fifteen  miles  distant.  Bandannas 
filled  the  place  where  hats  were  wanted, 
red  or  blue  ribbon  bows  fluttered  from  the 
button  hole  of  the  three  older  brothers, 
Lawyer  Jones,  Governor  Moore,  and  George 
Washington,  while  our  little  Cap'n  Pratt, 
not  to  be  outdone  because  he  had  no  coat, 
wore  his  bow  on  his  new  cap.  "Pappy"  on 
Uncle  Jake's  mule  rode  on  ahead  of  the 
wagon  with  the  dignity  of  a  brigadier  gen- 
eral on  dress  parade. 

Our  party  was  joined  now  and  then  by 
others  on  horseback  or  in  wagons,  going  to 
celebrate  the  first  Thanksgiving  these  plan- 
tation people  had  ever  known. 

On  their  arrival  at  the  mission,  they  found 
a  large  crowd  already  assembled  in  the 
chapel  and  the  exercises  about  to  begin. 
As  the  voices  of  the  people  on  the  rostrum, 
accompanied  by  the  organ,  rang  out  in  a 
psalm  of  praise  and  thanksgiving,  our  vis- 
itors could  scarcely  remain  in  their  seats, 
but  half  arose  that  they  might  get  a  better 
view  of  the  singers  and  the  instrument — 
itself  an  object  of  wonder. 

The  prayer  of  the  mission  pastor  called 
forth  many  "amens"  as  he  fervently  thanked 
God  that  the  people  of  the  Black  Belt,  who 
14 


sat  in  darkness  were  seeing  light,  that  their 
children  could  receive  a  Christian  education, 
and  the  number  who  appreciated  these 
blessings  was  so  large. 

Then  came  more  songs  of  praise  and  exer- 
cices  by  the  children,  followed  by  expres- 
sions from  fathers  and  mothers  full  of  lov- 
ing gratitude.  "  I  so  thank  de  good  Lord," 
said  a  gray-haired  mother,  "dat  us  chillins 
kin  git  a  edication,  Ise  too  ole  but  Ise 
willin'  to  work  my  finger  nails  off  in  the 
cotton  patch  or  any  whah  to  keep  my  boys 
and  girls  in  school." 

After  the  services  all  were  invited  out 
into  the  grove  where  the  home  people  saw 
that  all  visitors  were  served  bountifully  with 
pork,  bread,  cake  and  pies,  out  of  trunks 
and  goods  boxes,  though  they  themselves 
must  live  on  bread  and  molasses  for  days 
after. 

Then  came  games  of  various  kinds,  base- 
ball, foot,  sack  and  barrel  races. 

What  a  day  it  was  to  all  and  to  none  more 
than  to  Cap'n  Pratt,  to  whom  had  come  a 
vision  of  something  better  than  he  had  ever 
known,  a  longing  that  expressed  itself  on 
the  way  back  home  that  evening  when  every 
detail  of  the  day's  program  was  being  dis- 
cussed, "I  wish  us  had  a  mission  where  us 
lives." 

"Ise   been    studyin'    chillun',"     said    their 

father   when   they   reached   home   late   that 

evening,   "Ise   been    a   studyin'   all    de   way 

back  home   'bout  how  I  could  git   some  o' 

15 


you  in  dafc  mission  school.  I  wish  I  could 
sen'  you  all  but  I  ain't  able.  So  Ise  'cided 
dis;  Ise  gwine  sen  Cap'n  Pratt  in  Gener- 
wary  any  way.  May  hap  nex'  year  some  o' 
de  res  kiri  git  off.  De  teacher  say  part  of 
de  board  kin  be  paid  in  taters  and  lasses  an' 
sech  likes.  An'  dere  dat  little  red  heifer 
calf,  Cap'n  Pratt,  "what  Mammy  Susan  give 
you,  us  kin  take  it  along.  Ise  gwine  to  git 
Pappy's  baby  boy  in  school  ef  I  has  to  mort- 
gage one  o'  de  mules." 

And  so  it  happened  that  Cap'n  Pratt's 
first  Thanksgiving  day  became  a  real  one. 
"Thanky,  Jesus,"  he  whispered  as  he  knelt 
behind  the  "tater  house"  that  night  -  sacred 
to  the  memory  of  his  conversion,  "thanky, 
Jesus,  for  I  wants  to  learn,  Jesus,  I  wants 
to  learn  so  bad." 


1C 


CHAPTER  III. 
Cap'n   Pratt's   Christmas. 

gif,  Pappy!  Krismus  gif, 


K] 
Mammy!  Krismus  gif,  every- 
body!" 'Twas  Cap'n  Pratt's 
cheery  voice  calling  out  from  his 
trundle  bed  early  Christmas 
morning.  "I  cotch  you  an'  you — 
But  what  else  he  said  no  one 
heard  for  the  whole  crowd  of 
children,  five  in  number  includ- 
ing baby  Tad,  began  shouting  at  the  top  of 
their  voices:  "Krismus  gif!  Krismus  gif!" 
till  the  clamor  was  almost  deafening.  "Ef 
you  don't  stop  dat  racket,  I'll  gib  you  some 
Krismus  you  won't  like,"  growled  their 
father  from  his  bed  in  the  corner;  "Git  out 
o'  here  wid  your  fuss."  "Pappy's"  Christ- 
mas had  begun  the  night  before  over  a 
whiskey  jug  leaving  him  with  a  headache 
and  a  bad  temper  in  consequence. 

Their  enthusiasm  quite  subdued  for  a  time 
at  least,  the  children  crept  quietly  out  of  the 
cabin  and  joined  their  mother  who  had  gone 
out  a  short  while  before  and  was  seated  on 
the  crib  door  step. 

17 


George  Washington,  Lawyer  Jones,  and 
Governor  Moore --the  three  older  brothers 
— had  gone  off  before  daylight  coon  and 
rabbit  hunting  and  would  not  be  home  be- 
fore night. 

"Mammy  ain't  got  much  Krismus  fur  her 
chillen.  I  'lowed  to  gin  you  a  apple  apiece, 
but  atter  yo'  Pappy  pay  fur  his  jug  he  ain't 
got  no  money  let",  I  sont  Lawyer  Jones  to 
de  store  wid  six  eggs  an'  got  you  all  a 
stick  o'  candy  apiece.  Take  dat  now  an' 
run  an'  play  out  in  de  road  case  yo'  Pappy 
ain't  feelin'  well." 

With  a  "thanky  Mammy"  from  each  one, 
Cap'n  Pratt  and  the  other  five  ran  off  suck- 
ing a  stick  of  candy  and  were  soon  racing 
up  and  down  the  road  kicking  up  dust  and 
rolling  over  in  the  warm  sand  in  high  glee — • 
much  happier  than  many  boys  and  girls  I 
know  who  are  loaded  with  toys  and  sweets. 

Mammy  and  the  older  sisters  busied  them- 
selves with  breakfast;  and  as  it  was  Christ- 
mas they  were  to  have  "flour  bread"  instead 
of  the  usual  corn  hoe  cake.  The  art  of  cake 
making  was  wholly  unknown  in  this  family; 
but  there  must  be  sugar  and  eggs  and  flour 
they  were  sure.  Two  unbeaten  eggs  and 
one  cup  of  sugar  were  added  to  the  recipe 
for  making  biscuit,  the  whole  made  quite 
stiff  and  molded  by  hand  into  biscuit  nearly 
the  size  of  an  ordinary  base  ball  and  which 
felt  and  looked  almost  as  hard  when  baked  in 
the  big  skillet  on  the  fireplace.  Two  of 
these  ball  biscuit,  "cake"  or  "sweet  bread" 
18 


as  they  were  variously  called  and  a  huge 
sweet  potato  roasted  in  the  ashes  constitut- 
ed the  Christmas  breakfast  and  was  munch- 
ed with  great  satisfaction  by  the  family 
as  they  scattered  about  in  different  parts 
of  the  cabin  or  yard  with  both  hands  full. 

By  this  time  the  male  parent  had  gotten 
up  and  neighbors,  women  and  men,  by  twos 
and  threes  came  and  soon  the  house  was  full 
of  rather  a  noisy  crowd  which  grew  more 
noisy,  talked  loud,  and  laughed  louder  as 
the  contents  of  the  jug  decreased.  The 
slavery  day  idea  that  Christmas  is  not 
Christmas  without  whiskey  still  prevails, 
and  many  who  are  quite  sober  the  rest  of 
the  year  will  drink  very  freely  on  this  oc- 
casion. 

"When  .1  git  big,"  confided  Cap'n  Pratt 
to  the  twins  "I  gwine  to  git  us  a  jug,  and 
us'll  drink  it  all  up  an'  have  a  big  time  like 
Pappy  an'  em,  won't  us,  Dink  and  Soda?" 

The  twins  would  have  clapped  their  hands 
at  the  proposition  but  they  were  full  of 
partly  demolished  biscuit  and  potato,  "so 
they  nodded  their  head  in  emphatic  ap- 
proval and  grunted  out  their  appreciation 
as  their  mouths  were  too  full  for  words. 

But  Cap'n  Pratt  was  destined  to  have 
changed  views  and  a  taste  of  real  Christ- 
mas. It  came  about  in  this  way: 

"Uncle  Ned,"  a  distant  relative  of  the 
family  was  visiting  in  the  neighborhood  and, 
always  fond  of  Cap'n  Pratt,  asked  that  he 
19 


might  take  him  home  to  spend  a  few  days 
with  him  and  his  wife,  "Aunt  Sukey." 

As  Uncle  Ned  lived  only  a  mile  from  the 
mission  school  where  Cap'n  Pratt  had  en- 
joyed his  first  Thanksgiving,  their  united 
pleas  resulted  in  Cap'n  Pratt's  being 
perched  behind  Uncle  Ned  on  his  faithful 
old  mule  and  trotting  off  in  great  glee. 

"Dey  gwine  a  hab  a  Krismus  tree  at  de 
school  house  tonight,  Cap'n  Pratt,"  said 
Uncle  Ned  as  they  rode  along,  "an'  me  an' 
yo'  Aunt  Sukey  gwine;  want  to  go  'long 
too?" 

"Oh,  Uncle  Ned,  do  take  me,  I'd  be  so 
glad.  I  been  to  de  school  house  once;  but 
I  ain't  never  seed  no  Krismus  tree.  What's 
it  like?" 

"You  jes  wait  an'  see  fur  yo'se'f,  Son.  Its 
sech  a  purty  sight  I  can't  tell  you  about  it." 

Cap'n  Pratt  had  on  his  suit  he  had  worn 
to  the  Thanksgiving  exercises  and  though 
it  was  a  little  faded,  the  bright  yellow 
sleeves  and  collar,  and  red  cap  made  him 
feel  quite  dressed  up  and  holiday  like.  "I'll 
shine  as  well  as  any  of  the  mission  boys"  he 
whispered  to  himself  as  he  looked  complac- 
ently at  his  outfit. 

"Here,,  Sukey'  come  out  an'  see  who  I  got 
here,"  called  out  Uncle  Ned  as  they  rode  up 
to  the  gate  of  his  cabin  home. 

Aunt  Sukey  came  out  as  fast  as  her  two 

hundred    pounds    would    allow    and    seeing 

Cap'n    Pratt,   almost   lifted   him   up   in    her 

arms.     "La,  child,  I  ain't  seed  none  o'  yo' 

20 


folks  in  nigh  three  year;  an'  how  you  is 
growed  Cap'n  Pratt,  though  you  allus  wuz 
a  little  splinter.  How's  yo'  Mammy  an' 
Pappy  gittin'  on? 

Before  he  could  ansv/er  these  questions, 
Uncle  Ned  came  in  from  feeding  the  mule 
saying,  as  it  was  late  and  they  had  to  walk, 
they  must  start  at  once  for  the  school  house 
or  they  could  not  get  a  seat. 

"Here's  a  snack  I  got  ready  fur  you  cause 
I  thought  you  might  be  late;  there's  enough 
fur  you  an'  Cap'n  Pratt,  too.  Come  right 
on  an'  you  can  eat  it  on  de  road.  You  know 
I  can't  walk  fast." 

"Look  at  the  bright  lights!"  cried  Cap'n 
Pratt,  as  they  came  in  sight  of  the  mission. 

When  with  eager,  expectant  faces  they 
looked  through  the  wide  open  door,  Cap'n 
Pratt  almost  held  his  breath  with  astonish- 
ment. What  a  sight  to  behold.  A  large 
cedar  tree  sparkling  with  tiny  candles 
stood  in  the  far  end  on  the  platform  and 
from  its  branches  were  suspended  toys, 
dolls,  horns  and — Cap'n  Pratt  could  not 
begin  to  tell  the  pretty  things,  for  he  was 
scarcely  seated  before  a  chorus  of  happy 
faced  children  began  to  sing,  "Merry,  merry 
Christmas,  everywhere."  This  was  followed 
by  speeches  and  more  singing  all  about  a 
Baby  born  in  Bethlehem's  manger,  and  an- 
gels and  Christmas  stars;  and  little  Cap'n 
Pratt  heard  and  understood  for  the  first 
time  that  we  celebrate  Christmas,  because 
God  gave  his  only  Son,  the  dearest  gift  ever 
21 


bestowed  on  man.  Some  one  spoke  of  the 
way  the  day  should  be  observed — in  honor- 
ing our  kind  Father  by  deeds  of  love  to 
others,  giving  joy  to  the  aged,  the  sick,  and 
the  poor,  and  that  it  should  never  be  spent 
in  drinking  and  carousing  as  so  many  do. 
He  had  always  thought  of  it  as  a  time  when 
Pappy  and  the  other  deacons  and  preachers 
along  with  their  neighbors  drank,  going  from 
house  to  house  wherever  a  jug  was  known 
to  be.  Cap'n  Pratt  was  thinking  and  some 
how  it  seemed  to  him  there  was  something 
wrong  about  the  preachers  and  deacons. 

"Look  yonder,  Cap'n  Pratt,"  whispered 
Uncle  Ned,  nudging  him  in  the  side,  "look 
comin'  in  at  de  do'.  Dat's  Santa  Glaus."  . 

"Oh,"  Cap'n  Pratt  only  made  out  to  gasp. 
He  could  hardly  believe  his  eyes;  but  when 
Santa  Glaus  went  up  to  the  tree  and  began 
taking  off  the  presents  and  calling  the  boys' 
and  girls'  names  for  whom  they  were  in- 
tended he  could  remain  on  his  seat  no  long- 
er but  stepped  out  into  the  aisle,  watching 
every  act  with  open-mouthed  wonder. 

But  his  astonishment  and  delight  knew 
no  bounds  when  one  of  the  teachers  put 
a  bag  of  candy  and  a  pretty  scrap  book  in 
his  arms,  saying,  '"This  is  Cap'n  Pratt,  isn't 
it?  (Perhaps  she  recognized  him  by  his  coat 
of  many  colors)  You  were  here  Thanks- 
giving, and  you  are  coming  to  school  in 
January.  I  will  be  your  teacher,  I  guess, 
and  I  shall  be  glad  to  have  you  for  one  of 

9? 


my  scholars."  She  shook  hands  with  Uncle 
Ned  and  Aunt  Sukey,  who  also  received 
presents  and  returned  to  help  Santa  Glaus 
distribute  the  remaining  gifts. 

Cap'n  Pratt's  bright  eyes  were  glistening 
with  thankful,  happy  tears. 

"Uncle  Ned/'  he  whispered,  ''ain't  God 
good  to  give  us  all  these  nice  things?  'an 
he  gives  us  Jesus  too — all  for  a  Christmas 
present.  I'm  gwine  to  tell  Pappy  and  Dink 
and  Soda  all  about  it  when  I  git  home,  an' 
I  ain't  never,  no  never  gwine  to  git  a  jug 
when  I'm  big." 


23 


CHAPTER  IV. 
Cap'n   Pratt  Sick  A-bed. 

WONDER  what  ailin'  Cap'n  Pratt," 
said   his   mother    who    had    just 
come   in  from  the  field  and  was 
busy   preparing   the    hasty   noon- 
day meal.     "He  ain't  been  actin' 
right  fur  several  days,  lyin'  roun' 
on    de    groun';    jes'    look   at    him 
out   dere    leanin'    'ginst    de    tater 
house  mos'  'sleep."     Then  raising 
her  voice,  "Cap'n  Pratt,  come  here.     What 
de  matter  wid  you  boy?     You  sick?" 
"No'm,  I  ain't  sick,  Mammy." 
"Don't  nothin'  hurt  you?" 
"Nothin'  but   my  head,  but  it   don't  hurt 
much." 

Nevertheless  next  morning  Cap'n  Pratt 
did  not  get  up  with  his  other  three  brothers 
who  shared  his  bed,  but  seemed  even  more 
sleepy  and  complained  of  his  head  being 
worse. 

"Bettah  send  for  Granny  Harriet,  ole 
man,"  said  the  mother,  "and  let  her  doctah 
on  dat  chile.  I  nebber  did  know  nothin'  to 
do  fur  sick  folks.  Ise  skeered  he  gwine 
to  have  a  spell  o'  sickness,  ef  sumpin'  aint 
done.  He  won't  eat.  I  tried  to  git  him  to 
taste  a  roasted  sweet  tater  an'  a  little  pot 

24 


Cap'n  Pratt's  head  hurts. 


liquor  an'  he  wouldn't  take  a  good  mou'ful. 
You  might  go  by  an'  tell  her  on  your  way 
to  de  swamp  field." 

In  a  comparatively  short  time  Granny 
Harriet  arrived. 

"Dat  chile  wormy,  C'aline;  he  so  full  o'  'em 
dey  done  gin  (give)  him  de  fever.  Get  me 
some  collard  leaves  to  go  on  his  head  an' 
stomich.  I  brung  a  handful  o'  catnip  'long 
an'  I  gwine  to  git  some  pine  top,  an'  some 
yellow  top,  an'  some  snake  root  an'  make 
him  a  tea.  He'll  git  all  right  by  de  time  you 
git  in  frum  de  field." 

But    that    evening    and    several    evenings 

25 


after  when  the  family  came  in  from  work 
they  found  Granny  Harriet's  remedies  had 
been  of  no  avail.  Though  she  had  gone 
herself  and  got  roots  over  which  the  wagons 
had  run  and  scraped  the  bark  of  the  dog 
wood  backv/ards  and  made  a  strong  in- 
fusion, Cap'n  Pratt's  hands  were  so  hot  as 
they  lay  in  "Pappy's"  that  he  went  out 
rather  abruptly  one  evening,  saying  he  was 
going  to  town  to  get  "some  doctdr  medicine." 
In  a  few  hours  he  was  back  and  during  the 
night  faithfully  administered  the  medicine 
sent  by  the  doctor. 

"Is  I  much  sick,  Pappy?"  Cap'n  Pratt 
questioned  as  he  caught  a  glimpse  of  his 
father's  anxious  face.  "Its  most  time  fur 
de  school  to  open  an'  I  wants  to  go  so  bad," 
he  added  wistfully. 

"Take  yer  medicine,  Cap'n  Pratt,  an'  you'll 
soon  git  well  an'  kin  go  to  school,"  he  an- 
swered. 

If  the  first  few  doses  from  a  physician 
do  not  have  immediate  effect,  a  common 
practice  is  to  leave  it  off;  and  Cap'n  Pratt's 
parents  were  no  exception  to  the  rule. 

"Cap'n  Pratt's  porely  dis  mornin',  C'aline, 
an'  Ise  half  a  mind  to  send  George  Wash- 
ington over  to  'Possum  Bend  an'  git  de  root 
doctah  what  Granny  Harriet  said  could 
sho'  cure  him.  Us  kin  work  de  patch 
'round  de  house  here,"  he  continued,  "an' 
kind  o'  see  how  he  gittin'  'long." 

The  conjurer  or  trick  doctor  arrived  about 
noon,  came  in  and  looked  at  the  sick  boy 
26 


and  declared  he  must  have  his  dinner  be- 
fore he  could  work. 

"I'll  tell  you  what,  Bud,"  addressing  the 
head  of  the  family,  after  completing  his 
hearty  meal,  "I  kin  cure  dat  boy  an'  have 
him  pickin'  seventy-five  or  a  hundred  pounds 
of  cotton  in  a  few  days  for  ten  dollars. 
Gimme  five  now  and  tother  five  atter  I  git 
everything  in  working  order,  you  know," 
giving  the  family  a  meaning  look  out  of  his 
cunning  reddish  white  eyes. 

The  landlord  was  sought,  the  cow  and 
calf  mortgaged  for  ten  dollars,  and  the  con- 
jurer went  to  work. 

He  pounded  herbs,  he  went  into  the  woods 
and  brought  armfuls  of  various  herbs  and 
bark  which  he  boiled  in  C'aline's  big  wash 
pot.  He  rubbed  Cap'n  Pratt  with  the  de- 
coction and  gave  him  some  to  drink.  Then 
he  stood  over  the.  sick  boy  chanting  words 
no  one  understood,waving  his  arms  wildly 
and  swaying  his  body  to  and  fro.  That 
night  he  called  for  a  quart  of  whiskey  as 
necessary  to  preserve  the  drugs. 

"Well  Bud,  yo'  little  chap  gwine  a  be  up 
stanin'  on  his  head  fo'  tomorrer,"  he  de- 
clared next  morning.  "Give  him  de  med- 
icine I  fixed  like  I  tole  you.  I  guess  I'll  have 
a  cup  or  so  o'  coffee  an'  eat  a  snack  fo'  I 
go.  Ise  mighty  busy  dis  summer,  heap  a 
sickness  all  over  de  country.  De  boy's  a 
gittin'  'long  fine  now." 

Cap'n  Pratt  was  asleep  when  the  con- 
jurer left,  he  slept  'till  noon  and  continued 
27 


to  sleep  though  his  father  and  mother  tried 
again  and  again  to  arouse  him  and  give  him 
food  and  medicine.  When  later  in  the  after- 
noon the  now  frightened  family  saw  no  signs 
of  waking,  the  father  galloped  off  at  full 
speed  for  the  doctor,  eight  miles  distant. 

The  physician,  familiar  with  the  ways  of 
the  colored  people  in  that  section  regarding 
their  sick,  soon  understood  the  situation. 

"You  are  late  sending  for  me,"  he  said, 
"that  boy  is  very  sick.  It  will  not  only  take 
all  my  skill  but  the  very  best  nursing  to 
save  him,  and  even  that  is  exceedingly 
doubtful  of  effecting  a  cure.  I  tell  you  what 
you  had  better  do,  Smith, M  (after  a  mo- 
ments thought,)  take  "that  boy  down  to  the 
mission  hospital,  where  he  can  have  con- 
stant attention.  Now  I  tell  you,"  as  he  saw 
they  hesitated,  "if  you  don't  you  might  as 
well  go  order  his  coffin."  After  some  fur- 
ther urging  by  the  doctor  and  questions  by 
the  parents  it  was  decided  to  take  Cap'n 
Pratt  to  the  hospital  that  very  evening. 

It  was  quite  dark,  when  "Pappy"  carried 
his  precious  burden  in  and  laid  it  on  a 
snowy  white  cot  in  the  boy's  ward  of  the 
hospital. 

"We  will  do  our  best  for  your  boy  and 
with  God's  blessing  hope  to  have  him  well," 
responded  a  sweet-faced  nurse  to  whom 
the  father  had  expressed  his  anxiety. 

Though  she  spoke  hopefully,  her  exper- 
ienced eye  told  her  that  the  fight  for  life 
would  indeed  be  a  hard  one. 

28 


The  father  returned  home  that  night  with 
a  heavy  heart.  The  doctor  had  spoken  some 
plain  words  to  him  about  trick  doctors. 
Could  it  be  true  as  he  had  said  that  the 
conjurer  had  made  his  boy  worse?  That 
he  had  given  him  something  like  poison, 
(he  could  not  recall  the  big  word  the  doc- 
tor used)  to  put  him  to  sleep? 

"Ef  Cap'n  Pratt  only  gits  well,"  he  vowed 
to  himself  as  he  drove  homeward,  "I'll  never 
bother  wid  dem  fellahs  again.  I  allus  said 
dey  had  sold  deysef  to  de  debil." 

A  few  days  after  Cap'n  Pratt's  admission 
to  the  hospital  a  crowd  of  relatives  from 
far  and  near,  hearing  of  his  illness,  came 
to  see  him  and  were  very  indignant  that 
they  were  not  permitted  to  do  so.  "Us  jes* 
wants  to  peep  at  de  chile.  Lawdy!  dey 
gwine  to  let  dat  boy  die  and  go  to  torment, 
an'  us  ain't  'lowed  to  sing  and  pray  wid  us 
own  kin." 

In  spite  of  the  excellent  care  given  by 
the  hospital,  Cap'n  Pratt  continued  very 
sick.  At  times  it  would  seem  as  if  all  ef- 
forts were  fruitless,  and  the  little  patient 
so  weak  and  thin,  lying  there  with  eyes  half 
closed,  unconscious  of  everything,  was  slow- 
ly but  surely  drawing  nearer  to  another 
country  whose  inhabitants  never  say:  "I 
am  sick." 

It  was  nearly  midnight.  The  nurse  on 
night  duty  bending  over  Cap'n  Pratt  as  he 
lay  so  still  and  motionless  feared  the  little 


spirit  within  the  boy's  slight  frame  would 
pass  away  before  the  morning  light. 

The  mother  is  in  the  office,  sobbing  softly 
and  waiting  for  some  word.  They  have  told 
her  he  is  sinking.  She  cannot  sit  there  but 
every  few  moments  she  tiptoes  to  the  ward 
door  and  begs  to  be  admitted.  But  the  doc- 
tor has  ordered  perfect  quiet. 

"Poor  little  Cap'n  Pratt,  how  I  wish  I 
could  do  something  for  you,"  murmured  the 
nurse  to  herself  as  her  fingers  on  his  pulse 
told  her  it  was  very  weak  and  rapid,  "And 
the  doctor  ten  miles  away."  she  continutd 
despairingly.  "If  I  could  only  think  of 
something  else!  What  a  poor  servant  to 
represent  the  Master!  Surely  he  could  have 
used  a  better  nurse  than  I  at  least  one 
wiser,  abler — 

A  low  knock  at  the  front  door  interrupted 
her  thoughts.  Footsteps  were  heard  in  the 
hall  and -oh,  joy!  it  was  the  doctor. 

"I'm  so  glad  you've  come/'  she  said  in  a 
relieved  tone  as  she  hurried  forward. 

"I  had  a  call  near  here  and  decided  to 
come  by  and  see  the  boy."  Before  he  had 
finished  the  sentence  he  was  at  the  sick 
boy's  bedside,  his  hand  on  his  pulse. 

"A  glass  of  water,  as  quick  as  possible," 

he  ordered  quietly.     Rolling  up  the  sleeve 

of  the  patient  he  injected  a  fluid  into  his 

arm;  then  sat  down  by  his  bedside  to  note 

'the  effect. 

"Give    him    your    best    care    tonight,"    he 
said  at  length  as  he   rose  to  go,  "His  life 
30 


is  hanging  by  a  thread.  This  is  the  crisis; 
if  we  can  keep  him  alive  till  morning  he 
will  get  well.  Here  are  written  instructions 
to  be  followed  during  the  next  five  hours. 
I'll  be  down  in  the  morning." 

It  is  morning.  The  waiting  mother  has 
just  been  told  that  there  is  hope  and  she 
has  been  allowed  to  go  in  and  have  a  "peep" 
at  her  child  as  he  sleeps  so  naturally.  Tears 
of  gratitude  and  happiness  course  down  her 
black  cheeks  as  she  stoops  over  to  get  a 
good  view  of  his  face.  His  eyes  open. 
''Mammy"  he  says  faintly.  His  little  weak 
arms  are  about  her  neck. 

"Thanky  Jesus,  thanky  Jesus;  my  chile 
gwine  to  git  well.  You  done  heard  my 
pra'rs.  He  'longs  to  you,  Jesus."  She  had 
sunk  down  on  her  knees. 

And  the  nurse  as  she  watches  the  two 
feels  her  own  heart  throb  with  happiness, 
the  blessedness  of  having  ministered  unto 
one  of  Christ's  little  ones.  Lonely  nights 
of  patient  watching,  long,  hot,  nerve-trying 
days  of  fever  fighting  are  forgotten  in  the 
joy  of  the  scene  before  her,  because  it  was 
done  in  His  name. 

And  you,  who  pity  your  ignorant,  super- 
stitious, black  brother,  who  provide  these 
comforts,  this  home  for  the  sick,  the  means 
with  which  to  minister  to  such  as  Cap'n 
Pratt,  God  give  you  blessings  and  make 
your  faces  radiant  with  joy  as  the  vision 
comes  before  you  of  "that  day"  when  the 
King  shall  say,  "I  was  sick  and  ye  visited 
me."  31 


Price  5  Cents 


Order  of 
MRS.     JOHN     A.     CRAWFORD, 

Literature  Secretary 

Room  907,  Publication  Building, 

Ninth  St.,  Pittsburgh,  Pa. 


